In 1933, the renowned German economist Robert Kuczynski and his wife Berta arrived in Britain as refugees from Nazism, soon followed by their six children. Jürgen, known as a leading Communist, was a significant concern for MI5, while Ursula, codenamed Sonya, was a colonel in Russia’s Red Army who had spied on the Japanese in Manchuria. MI5 also maintained extensive files on their four sisters, Brigitte, Barbara, Sabine, and Renate.

During the critical early phases of the Cold War, members of the Kuczynski family proved to be key Soviet assets as facilitators and influence agents. In Britain, Ursula managed spies Klaus Fuchs and Melita Norwood, whose cooperation delayed the Soviet atomic bomb by at least five years.

Based on newly declassified files, Agent Sonya, MI5 and the Kuczynski Network uncovers the operations of a network at the center of Soviet intelligence in Britain. Over more than seventy years of espionage, the Kuczynskis and their associates gained access to high-ranking officials in government, civil service, and the justice system. For the first time, renowned historian David Burke tells the full story of one of the most successful spy rings in history.

Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm